Greenwich Village

A beautiful place to visit, lots of unique clothing shops, many restaurant choices, streets are not particularly crowded here, because its a very affluent neighborhood which makes for great people watching. Many celebrities live here including, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mathew Broderick. Giselle Bundchen,Tom Brady and Julianne Moore.

For eating like a local there are many choices, Joe's Pizza for a thin-crust slice made with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, Murry's Cheese makes gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, Magnolia Bakery for the famous cupcakes seen on Sex and the City, lobster rolls from the Lobster Place, sushi from Sushi Samba, and don't forget the cannoli from Rocco's. Sightseeing icons are Washington Square Park, where locals, New York University students, and travelers all meet to listen to bands jamming for donations, and artists doing their thing. Don't forget to see the arch, a copy of the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris. High Land Park, a new elevated park which in 1 year has already had over 2 million visitors. And one of the most charming tree-lined streets with old residential buildings on Barrow Street.

SoHo/Little Italy/Chinatown

These 3 neighborhoods all share a common border and it's quite easy to visit all three in 1 outing. What's so unusual here is the difference in the neighborhoods, SoHo is quite an upscale place to visit with the best shopping in the city, Little Italy's popular is shrinking but there are still over 50 restaurants to choose from, and Chinatown is quite bustling with shoppers still seeking fake designer bags and Rolex watches.

SoHo has many great places to eat including, Grandaisy Bakery which makes fresh home-made thin crust zucchini and mushroom pizzas, and for dessert don't miss the Best Chocolate Cake in the World on Spring Street. Little Italy has the freshest cheeses and cold cuts from Alleva, a 5th generation family run business since 1892, and for dessert you must try the cannoli here from Ferrara's. In Chinatown the pork dumplings with chives are all the rave, with long lines forming at Fried Dumpling, and for dessert head to Fay Da for egg custard.

Great must-see sights are the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on Prince Street, the Old Police Department Condos on Centre Street, and make sure to visit Columbus Park in Chinatown, where all the locals are playing mahjong, chinese checkers, or poker and betting is encouraged.

Your trip to NY would not be complete unless you walked through at least one of the above neighborhoods, and in addition to tasting the local foods which makes a NY food tour so unique, the smell of the shops, bakeries and restaurants are something I can't put into words.